'It punched us': Matagorda Co. 1st responders running on fumes with injury calls after Beryl

SARGENT, Texas (KTRK) -- One person was killed when Hurricane Beryl ravaged Matagorda County. Self-assessment reporting shows at least 25 homes were destroyed, 175 sustained major damage, and 150 experienced minor damage, according to county Emergency Management Coordinator Amanda Campos.

On Tuesday, more than one week after the storm, ABC13 revisited the tiny town of Sargent, Texas, where the storm first made landfall.

"(The storm) punched us right between the eyes," Sargent Volunteer Firefighter Blue Morris said.

At least 18 people died when the storm swept through southeast Texas.

In an effort to deter looting, the Department of Public Safety set up a checkpoint, only allowing residents, business owners, and contractors with proof of work to access Sargent.

"There are people with that kind of mindset right now. 'There's an empty house, let's go take the radio, the TV, and what have you,'" Morris said.

His volunteer fire station serves as a debris burn station and hub for aid. Survivors like Monica Keeling are paying their good fortune forward by volunteering.

"He literally got on top of me face to face, my 85-pound-plus golden retriever, and a tornado went over us, and as soon as it was done, he got back in his spot next to me," She cried. "It was God."

For more updates on this story, follow Shannon Ryan on Facebook, X and Instagram.